THE children of the bigamous Duke of Manchester are to benefit from their father’s huge estate, thanks to a landmark ruling by a top judge yesterday.

The trustees went to the High Court for a ruling on whether the children could benefit []

Alexander Montagu, the Australian-born 13th duke, “failed to mention” to his American bride in 1993 that he was already married, the High Court heard.

A week after they wed, Wendy Buford, then 24, gave birth to their son, Alexander, now 17. His sister Ashley, 12, was born in 1999.

Ms Buford did not know that their marriage was “bigamous and void” because in 1984 the duke, now 48, had already validly married Marion Stoner in Australia, said Mr Justice Floyd.

The judge said: “That fact did not come to light until June 2009. The duke had not troubled to become divorced from Marion Stoner until 1996.” The duke separated from Wendy five years ago.

Alexander and Ashley bear the title “The Honourable”, but the trustees of their father’s estate in England and Ireland stopped paying them maintenance in 2009 when they were found to be the offspring of a bigamous marriage.

The duke had not troubled to become divorced from Marion Stoner until 1996

The judge

The trustees then went to the High Court for a ruling on whether the children could benefit from the estate. The judge upheld their right to benefit and ruled they are to be viewed as legitimate.

He said there was “absolutely no doubt that Wendy reasonably believed that the marriage was valid” and the laws of Australia, California and England all allowed the children of bigamous marriages to be treated as legitimate.

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